Portable grain elevator



March 1l, 1947. R JEQFFRQY v 2,417,11 l

PORTABLE GRAIN ELEVA'IORl Filed March 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet` 1 March11; 1947. R', JEOFFROY.

PORTABLE GRAIN ELEvAToR Filed March 125,` 1945 l 2 Sheets-SheetI 2,

" Rely, Jeoffroy,

Patented Mar. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE GRAINELEVATOB Roy J eoffroy, Perrytomv'lex. y

'Application March 13, 1945, Serial No. 582,515

4 Claims.

This invention'relates to a portable loading device for elevating grainfrom the ground or aA platform into a vehicle or from a vehicle into astorage bin.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovekind which is highly eiiicient in operation, comparatively simple inconstruction, and easy to operate.

Another object is to provide a device of the above kind to which thegrain may be readily fed from the ground or platform and which may bereadily adjusted to receive the grain from a vehicle and to properlydischarge the grain into a vehicle or a bin.

Still another object is toprovide a device of the above kind embodyingan elevating conveyor bed by a horizontal screw conveyor having atubular casing provided with front inlet openings, and an inclined bladecarried by the casing and upwardly along which the grain may pass or bemoved for passage through the inlet openings into the casing.

More specific objects and featuresof .the invention will appear from thefollowing description.

In'the accompanying' drawings, wherein like reference charactersindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Figure l is a sideelevation, partly broken away and in section, of agrain elevator embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure Sis a front elevation 'of the same.

Figure 4 'is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 4 4 ofFigure 5.

Figure is a fragmentary vertical section on the plane of line 5 5 ofFigure 2.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, with the casing of the screwconveyor and parts carried thereby adjusted for using the elevator toload grain from a vehicle into a bin.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 inclicates a triangular frameprovided near the front or base end with a transverse axle 6 havingsupporting wheels 'i journaled on the ends thereof. Atthe rear or apexend of the frame is a clevis` 8 to facilitate coupling of the device toa tractor 9, or the like.

taken Mounted for axial rotary adjustment on the front end of the frame5 is the tubular casing I0 of a horizontal transverse screw conveyorincluding a conveyor screw Il rotatable in the casing It. The lower endof the casing I2 of an upright elevating conveyor is journaled on theoutlet end of the casing It of the screw conveyor, and this elevatingconveyor includes an endless bucket conveying element I3 for elevatingthe grain from the screw conveyor and discharging it into a rearwardlyand laterally inclined discharge spout I4 on the upper end of the casingI2. The

spout I4 is thus adapted to discharge the grain into a vehicle or bin atone side of the elevator.

At the outlet end of the screw conveyor, the shaft of screw Il has aprojecting end I5 which forms the footshaft ofthe endless elevatingconveyor. The lower end of the conveyor casing I2 is reinforced and hasan opening at its inner side surrounded by a flanged collar I6 journaledin a bearing band I'I fixed to the frame 5, whereby the elevatingconveyor may be tiltably adjusted forwardly or rearwardly. The dischargeend of the casing lil of the screw conveyor is journaled in the collarI5, and the other end -of casing I0 is closed and journaled on theadjacent end of the shaft of screw II. The latter end of the screw shaftis journaled in an arm I8 of frame 5 and is operatively connected by achain gearing I9 with the adjacent end of a transverse counter shaft 20ljournaled on the frame 5. Mounted on the'vframe 5 rearwardly of shaft7.0` is a motor 2| whose drive shaft is operatively connected to shaft20 by a belt gearing`22. Thus, motor 2| drives the conveyor screw II andthe endless conveying element I3. An adjustable guy rod 23 is providedbetween the rear portion of frame 5 and the casing I 2 of 4the elevatingconveyor for securing the latter in the desired tiltably adjustedposition.

The casing I5 of .the screw conveyor hasa series of horizontallyelongated and horizontally alined inlet openings 24 in the frontthereof. Fixed to and projecting forwardly from casing I0 is a flatblade 25 that is attached to said casing at the bottoms of the openings24 to lead the grain to the latter. Fixed to and projecting upwardlyfrom the top of the casing I i) is a guard plate 26 adapted to preventgrain from passing rearwardly over said casing. Casing Ill may berotatably adjusted so that the blade 25 extends downwardly to thesurface of the ground or platform as shown in Figure 5, or so that itextends forwardly and upwardly as shown in Figure 5. When in the firstposition, the blade may act as a scoop for directing the grain, to theopenings 24 when the device is pushed ahead by the tractor 9, or as aninclined plane up which the grain may Ibe moved by shovelling or thelike. When in the second position, the blade directs the grain to theopenings 24 as it is discharged from a vehicle above the casing I0 asshown by dotted lines in Figure 6. To secure the casing in differentrotatably adjusted positions, a rod 21 may be pivoted to the guard plate26 and provided with a hooked free end selectively engageable in adesired one of a series of apertures 28 of a keeper plate 29 secured onthe frame 5 behind the screw conveyor.

In order to adjustably limit the amount of grain that may be fed to thescrew conveyor as conditions may require, a curved slide plate 3l!movable on the periphery of casing I in guides 3| to adjustably restrictthe openings 2li. Means 32 is provided to secure the slide plate 30 inany desired adjusted position.

In operation, motor 2| drives the screw II and endless conveying elementI 3 through the gearing described. The grain is caused to pass up thescoop blade 25 into the casing I0 by moving the grain or the elevator,when loading from the ground or a platform. The screw II discharges thegrain from casing I0 into the bottom of casing I2, and conveying elementI3 elevates the grain to and discharges it into the spout Il! throughwhich the grain flows by gravity into the bin or vehicle. When loadingfrom a vehicle, the casing I0 is adjusted so that the scoop lblade 25extends upwardly and the openings 24 are raised as shown in Figure 6.Thus, as the grain is discharged downwardly and rearwardly from thevehicle, it passes through the openings 24 into casing I0, beingdirected to the openings by blade 25.

From the `above description, the construction, operation and advantagesof the invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in theart.

What I claim is:

1.*A portable grain elevator comprising a two wheeled frame, means tocouple the rear of the frame to the front of a motor vehicle to bepushed forwardly thereby, a horizontal screw conveyor mountedtransversely of and on the forward end of the frame, said screw conveyorincluding a casing having grain inlet openings in the front thereof andsubstantially from end to end of the same and a conveyor screw in thecasing for discharging the grain through an end of said casing, a scoopblade rigidly secured at its rear edge to and projecting forwardly fromsaid casing for directing the grain to said inlet openings, an uprightelevating conveyor including a casing mounted at its lower end on thesaid end of the screw conveyor casing and an endless conveying element,a driving connection between said conveyor screw and said endlessconveying element, and a motor mounted on said frame and opera-- tivelyconnected to said conveyor screw, the screw conveyor casing beingaxially rotatable to position the scoop in a forwardly and downwardlyinclined position for loading from the ground or in a forwardly andupwardly inclined position to direct grain into the screw conveyorcasing when discharged downwardly from a Vehicle.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, together with an arcuate slidemounted on the screw conveyor casing for movement concentric with theaxis of the same to adjustably restrict the inlet openings thereof.

3. A portable grain elevator comprising a wheeled frame, a horizontalscrew conveyor mounted transversely of and on the forward end of theframe, said screw conveyor including a casing having grain inletopenings in the front thereof and substantially from end to end of thesame and a conveyor screw in the casing for discharging the grainthrough an end of said casing, a scoop rigid with and projectingforwardly from said casing for directing the grain to said inletopenings, an upright elevating conveyor including a casing mounted atits lower end on the said end of the screw conveyor casing and anendless conveying element, a driving connection between said conveyorscrew and said endless conveying element, and a motor mounted on saidframe and operatively connected to said conveyor screw, a guard plateprojecting upwardly from the screw conveyor casing behind the inletopenings, and means connected to the guard plate to secure the screwconveyor casing in different rotatably adiusted positions,

4. A portable grain elevator comprising a two wheeled frame, anelongated horizontal screw conveyor mounted transversely of and on thefor ward end of the frame, said screw conveyor including a casing havinggrain inlet openings in the front thereof substantially from end to endof the same and a conveyor screw in the casing for discharging the grainthrough an end of said casing, a scoop blade rigidly secured at its rearedge to and projecting forwardly from said casing at the bottom of saidgrain inlet openings for scooping the grain from the ground into saidinlet openings upon' forward movement of the grain elevator, an uprightelevating conveyor arranged to receive the grain lat its lower end fromsaid screw conveyor through said end of said casing and including acasing mounted at its lower end on said end of the screw conveyor casingand an endless conveying element, said conveyor screw having a shaftextended to form the footshaft for said endless conveying element, amotor mounted on the frame and operatively connected to said conveyorscrew, and means to couple the rear of the frame to the front oi a motorvehicle to be pushed forwardly thereby.

ROY JEOFFROY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 296,509 Bartholomew Apr. 8, 1884921,685 Feldt May 18, 1909 1,163,057 Adams Dec. 7, 1915 1,700,922 CoonFeb. 5, 1929 2,013,582 Pressier Sept. 3, 1935 2,057,403 Vali et al Oct.13, 1935 2,343,133 Blank Feb. 29, 1944 2,390,286 Adams Dec. 4, 1945FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 605,891 German Nov. 20, 1934

